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The Merion Cricket Club Haverford, PA Director of Paddle Tennis

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The Merion Cricket Club Haverford, PA Director of Paddle Tennis The Merion Cricket Club Haverford, PA Director of Paddle Tennis - Position Profile – Organization Founded in 1865, The Merion Cricket Club located in scenic Haverford, Pennsylvania, is situated on Philadelphia’s Main Line, approximately 7 miles outside of Center City. It’s majestic and stately Frank Furness designed historic Clubhouse overlooks a sea of green known as the “Great Lawn” which hosts year-round sporting activities in tennis, cricket and croquet, including national and international competitive events. The Club offers an array of other sports on the Great Lawn including soccer, field hockey, softball and lawn bowling. Merion’s extensive facilities also include indoor tennis courts, 4 pickleball courts, a full service fitness center, paddle tennis facility including four courts, bowling lanes, men’s and women’s locker facilities, Pro Shop and singles/doubles squash courts. The Clubhouse is also home to exceptional facilities for member dining and social activities. The Club just completed a multi-year, multi-million dollar Campus Master Plan expansion with substantial investments made in strengthening the racquets facilities, family-friendly facilities and health & wellness. The Club’s fitness, squash and locker room facilities all saw significant upgrades while, most importantly, the Club added an outdoor resort-style pool and a new Paddle Tennis complex boasting a spectacular pavilion overlooking four (4) new courts. History of Merion Tennis Lawn Tennis was first played at The Merion Cricket Club in 1876 and was ‘officially’ recognized in 1882 with a resolution formally designating tennis as a Club sport. Since then, tennis has long been the most popular racquet sport at Merion. The history of world-class tennis at Merion is steeped in tradition. The Club began an eight decade stint of hosting the Pennsylvania State Lawn Tennis Championships in 1894 which marked the tournaments inauguration. Merion member William J. Clothier not only oversaw the tournament for three decades but won the tournament a total of five times beginning in 1948. The PSLTC champions include such tennis luminaries as Wallace F. Johnson, W. T. Tilden, H. Manuel Alonzo, E. Victor Seixas, Jr., Rod Laver and Poncho Gonzales. Winners of the women’s tournament include Mary K. Browne, Molla Bjurstedt, K. Midge Gladman, Helen Jacobs, Margaret Jacobs (Court), Maureen Connolly, Althea Gibson, Billie Jean Moffitt (King), Margaret Smith, Darlene Hard, Louise Brough and Margaret duPont. Merion was also home to the U.S. Intercollegiate Championships and the Davis Cup Squad who practiced on the manicured Great Lawn in 1934-1936. In September, 1939, the Davis Cup Challenge Round was played before an audience of 8,000 on Merion’s grass. Additional tennis greats who have competed on Merion’s Great Lawn include Jimmy Conners, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, Art Larson, Ham Rich, Cliff Drysdale, Roy Emerson and Eddie Moylan as well as Merion tennis legends including Straight Clark, Sam Howe, Diehl Mateer, James A. Schnaars, Dick Sorlien, Barbara Clement, Eleanor Hammonds and Bunny Vosters. In the days of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) - now the (USTA) - Merion Cricket was the first tournament played on the Grass Court Circuit. The tournaments then continued on to the other great lawn tennis clubs including East Orange, Meadow Club in Southhampton, Newport Casino, and Longwood Cricket before making its last stop at Forest Hills. History of Merion Paddle Tennis Platform “Paddle” Tennis was first introduced at Merion in 1961 when two courts and a small warming hut were erected at the perimeter of the Great Lawn. This new sport gained immediate interest and broad appeal from within the tennis playing membership as a winter alternative to tennis. Demand quickly exceeded the limitations of two courts and a third court was erected in the mid-seventies. Since that time, Paddle has remained one of the Club’s mainstay racquet sports and is now played nearly year-round. With the advent of the low-bounce ball, Merion began offering a spring league and the Paddle season now extends from late-August through early-June. Today – with Interclub leagues, high school team matches and recreational play – Merion’s Paddle program is amongst the most robust in the Philadelphia region and poised to grow even stronger. Paddle Tennis Facilities and Programs Merion’s paddle tennis facilities are among the finest in the Philadelphia region and perhaps beyond. These new facilities feature a magnificent pavilion overlooking the four (4) new paddle courts. The pavilion’s floor-to-ceiling windows provide for excellent viewing opportunities while socializing indoor next to the fireplace. The pavilion also features a full-service bar, comfortable lounge area and two bathrooms. The outdoor wrap-around deck, with a covered porch, also features a fireplace and built-in radiant heaters. This facility has quickly become one of the most popular venues at the Club. Merion’s paddle tennis programs are equally as extensive with over 500 members participating and competing actively in our structured programming to include: 175+ Women participating on six (6) Interclub MAPTA teams 150+ Men participating on five (5) Interclub MAPTA teams 100+ Juniors participating in camps and clinics as well as in a competitive high school program In addition, the Merion membership regularly utilizes the paddle tennis facilities for recreation/leisure play and private instruction and the Club is host to roughly 30 paddle tennis events each year. Merion’s Paddle Tennis professional staff consists of a Director of Paddle Tennis overseeing all paddle tennis operations and programming and is supported by two (2) Assistant Paddle Tennis Professionals who are also skilled tennis players and coaches. The professional staff is further augmented during peak season as required to support the robust programming. The Merion Experience Our boast-worthy facilities and centuries of championship tournaments and players notwithstanding, Merion’s true hallmark and key differentiator has always been our hospitality - which still holds true today. In a world that is changing so rapidly around us - and not always for the better - much remains the same today at Merion which is, indeed, part of the Merion experience and charm. True sportsmanship and camaraderie has been our consistent mission. Mission Statement The Merion Cricket Club is a forward-looking, family-oriented Club established in 1865 to provide its members with excellent facilities and programs. The Club encourages all levels of participation in sports and other activities, while at the same time enabling its members to socialize in an attractive environment with exceptional food and beverage service. Merion conducts itself with honor and integrity in all its endeavors, and is proud of its history and tradition. Vision Statement To be a pre-eminent family-focused Club meeting the multi-generational desires of our membership, including excellent dining, socializing, health and wellness opportunities and an array of athletic activities for all ages and skill levels highlighted by our nationally recognized tennis and squash programs. Position Profile The Merion Cricket Club seeks the consummate paddle professional to lead our Paddle program and work collaboratively with our accomplished team. Potential candidates will be among the best in the paddle tennis industry and possess the appropriate combination of court skills, leadership, vision and initiative best suited to the needs of the Club. The expectation is that the next Director of Paddle Tennis will lead this program to new heights and position Merion’s Paddle Program as one of the finest in the country. Coaching Experience Just as important as Merion’s exceptional facilities is our long-standing tradition of excellence in the coaching of racquet sports. Illustrious former Tennis and Squash professionals include William White ‘Whitey’, James Tully, Brendan McRory, James Dunn, Winnie Guilliford, Terry Hassall and Pascal Collard – all of whom have contributed significantly to delivering the Merion experience over the course of their long tenures for the past century. Our commitment to deliver this same level of coaching excellence is no different for our Paddle program. The Club will expect the next Director of Paddle Tennis to possess a proven and verifiable track record of developing robust and energized Paddle programs. This individual must exhibit a passion for the game and be a skilled coaching professional engaging both beginners and ‘A’ players alike. Position Summary Merion’s team of talented and committed senior managers strives for excellence in all aspects of the Club’s operations. The Director of Paddle Tennis will become an integral part of this cohesive management team and will lead the day-to- day operations of the Club’s Paddle Tennis Program. Currently, there are two Assistant Paddle Tennis Professionals who support the Director of Paddle. Key Position Attributes and Requirements: 1. An extensive background in high-caliber Paddle Tennis operations demonstrating a balanced approach to programming that will engage all paddle playing constituencies and uphold the Club’s mission of providing excellent programs for all levels of ability. 2. A career path marked with a logical progression of title and responsibility along with stability and tenure. Proven and verifiable credentials of progressive accomplishments in leading large-scale highly regarded Paddle operations. 3. An exceptional communicator
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